Teaching at NCCU

Last week, I signed my offer letter confirming that I will be an adjunct instructor of composition at North Carolina Central University beginning this semester. It has been an interesting and involved process finding the right teaching job. I was worried that I wouldn't get any offers but ended up with a few. I chose NCCU because they offered me class sessions that best fit my schedule; the fact that it's a world class university where I grew up attending homecoming and Founder's Day celebrations because of my family ties to NCCU founder Dr. James E. Shepard didn't hurt either.

I'm looking forward to meeting this student body and hope that I can teach them a few things they don't already know about writing. I'm also looking forward to the new things I'm going to learn myself. One lesson I took away from my time as a graduate teaching assistant in the MFA program at NCSU is that teaching is a two way street - at least the way that I do it. I like to leave room for my students to express their opinions and feel involved in the work that they're being asked to complete. And because of this, every semester that I've taught, I've learned something new whether it be about the process of writing, undergraduate life, or the goings on of various small towns in the state of North Carolina.

Being an instructor outside of a graduate school setting is going to be an interesting challenge. I've spent long hours coming up with a syllabus and course materials that combine topical essays with writing exercises, workshopping, presentations, and discussions. All that's left is to figure out whether to ask students to call me "Professor Green" or "Isaac."

Thank you to those that wrote my recommendations, guided me as I was in the process of applying, and put my application in front of the department head. I look forward to showing you what I can do.